Reversible and variable-speed mechanism



H. J. WILLMOTT 2,410,915 REVERSIBLE Ayn VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19 1944 Nov. 12, 1946.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

Inventor Herbert J Wi/lmott {B M Attorney N 12,1'945- 5H. J. WILLMQT T. I 2,410,915

REVERSIBLE AND VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM Filed Jan. '19, 1944 ZSheets-Sheet z Fig@ 2 I ifiwemm Herbert J. W///m0tt B8 Aorney Patented m2, 194s rsrATaN'r navnasmm AND VARIAliLE-SPEED MECHANISM Herbert J. Wilimott, Beverly, Masa, assignor to United'Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application January 19, 1944, Serial No. 518,893 I 7 Claims. (Cl. 74-286) two power output shafts are provided and which motive power from a member rotating in one 61- rection may be transmitted to a power. output member to rotate it either in the same direction as the first-named member or in the opposite direction and at a selected speed, both direction and speed being determined by the positioning of a lever member biased to a predetermined position.

A further object is to provide an improved mechanism by which motive power from a member rotating in one direction may be transmitted independently to either one or both of two power output members to rotate one or both of them either in the same direction as the first-named member or in' the opposite direction and at controlled and variable speeds.

To this end, and in accordance with an important feature of the invention, there is provided a novel power transmission in which the rotation of a constantly driven power input shaft may be imparted to a power output shaft at varying rates of speed up to a maximum rate in either may be driven'independently of each other.

In the simplest form a split housing ill is utilized, to. the outside of which is attached a motor l2. Within the housing It) a gear .train consisting of meshed spur gears l4 and iii are suitably journaled in bearings generally indicated by the numerals I8, 20, and 22. The diameters of gears l4 and It may be made equal. The armature of the motor I2 is arranged to drive the gear I 4 by means of a suitable coupling 24. Integral with the gear I4 is a shaft 26 which extends outside .of the gear housing. on the end of the shaft 26 are keyedthe'two halves 28 and 30 of a V-type variable diameter pulley. The pulley half 28 is rigidly fastened to the shaft 26 bya screw- 32 and keys 34 and 36. The other half 38 of the pulley is axially slidable on the shaft 28 but is not rotatable thereon because of keys 34 and 35. The axially slidable portion 30 of the pulley has a hub upon which an annular ring 38 is held and retained by a ball bearing arrangement as shown." The ring 38 has pins 40 extending from both sides thereof, only one pin 40 being shown. The gear i6 is integral with a sleeve 42 suitably journaled in the bearing 20, and an internal annular bevel gear 44 is formed on the gear l6. Coaxial with the gear 16 and'sleeve 42 direction through a zero position by the use of a single differential gear drive and a control lever biased to a predetermined position.

A further feature of the invention comprises novel structure in which power from a single source is divided and transmitted to both'sides of each of two differential power units, one side of each unit being connected by a variable speed drive to one side of the other unit, the other sides of the units being geared together, and the two sides of each unit being arranged to drive through pinion gearing a spider or arm amxed to a power output shaft to rotate that shaft at a speed and in a direction determined by the setting of one of the variable speed drives.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a view, partly in section, of one embodiment of the invention having a single power output shaft; and

f Fig. 2 shows a similar view, partly in section, of a second embodiment of the invention in which is mounted a bevel gear 46 having integral therewith a sleeve 48 joumaled in the bearing 22. The

sleeve 48 extends outside of the gear housing 10,

and pulley halves 50 and 52 similar to the pulley halves 28 and 30 are mounted on the sleeve Pulley half. 52 is also provided with an annular ring 54 similar to the annular ring 38 and is also provided with pins 58 similar to the pins 40. Pulley halfill is rigidly attached to the sleeve 48 by means of set screws iii. A shaft 58 extends entirely through the sleeves 42 and 48 and also through the pulley halves 50 and 52 for power output purposes at either end. Between the coaxial gears l6 and 46 a spider 60 is affixed to the shaft 58 having pinion gears 62 and 64 mounted thereon for rotation. The annular bevel gear 44, taken together withthe spider 60 and pinion gears 82 and 84 may be taken to constitute a differential gearing means. A bracket 66-is mounted on the. gear,

housing ill by means of bolts 88. Atv one end of the bracket 68 is a bearing member 18 upon which is pivoted a control lever 12 having yoke arms 14 and 16 as well as a short finger 18. The two yoke arms 14 as well as the two yoke arms 16 are provided with slots to accommodate the pins 40 and respectively. The bracket 66 is also provided with spring retaining means and 82 of identical structure. Spring retaining means 80 is deber 68 has a stop or protuberance '80 serving to,

Gear I06 is provided with an internal bevel gear I40 and the pinion gears I36 and I38 are mounted in engagement with annular bevel gear I40 and limit the upward motion of head 88. A 'V-type belt 3i connects the pulleys.

From the above description it will be seen that gears I4 and I6 are driven in opposite directions by the motor I2 and that the V-belt connection between the pulleys will cause the sleeve 48 together with the bevel gear 46 to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the gear I6. If the gears I4 and I6 are of the ratio of one-to-one they will rotate at equal speeds but in opposite directions. When the effective diameters of the pulleys forming the variable drive unit are the same, the shaft 26 and the sleeve 48 will be rotated at equal speeds and in the same direction. Assuming that the above conditions exist, gears I6 and 46 will rotate in opposite directions and at equal speeds and hence the spider 60 and consequently the output shaft 58 will not rotate because of the differential action of pinion gears 62 and 64. If the relative effective diameters of th pulleys are varied by changing the position of the control lever I2 the balanced condition of the differential will be disturbed and rotation of the output shaft 58 will occur, the speed and direction of said rotation being dependent upon the relative speeds of the members forming the other elements of the differential and the position of the control lever I2. Thus, it will be understood that by appropriate adjustment or movement of the lever 12, shaft 58 may be caused to rotate in either direction and at any speed between zero and a maximum, which is determined by the speed of rotation of the motor I2. Release of lever I2 will cause a centering of lever I2 by action of the springs upon the short finger I8. The centered or predetermined position of lever I2 may be chosen to give non-rotation of the shaft 58 or some definite speed and direction of rotation of that positions other than as shown in Fig. 1 and could drive either of gears I6 or I4 through intermediate gears forming a part of the gear train.

In Fig. 2 is shown an arrangement whereby power is imparted from a single source of power to two independently driven power output shafts. A gear housing I00 is provided to which is attached a motor I02 arranged to drive a gear I04 which in turn is arranged to drive a gear train made up of spur gears I06 and I08. The gear I06 is provided with a sleeve IIO journaled in a bearing generally indicated by the character H2. The gear I08 has integral therewith a sleeve II4 journaled in a bearing generally indicated by the character I I6. Coaxially mounted in a bearing II8 with the gear I06 is a separate bevel gear I20 having an integral sleeve I22. In alinement with the gear I08 and sleeve I I4 a separat bevel gear I24 is supported on a sleeve I26 within a bearing I28. A power output shaft I30 is mounted for free rotation within the two sleeves H0 and I22. A second power output shaft I32 is freely rotatable within the sleeves II4 and I28. Attached rigidly to the shaft I30 is a spider I34 having gear plnion I36 and I38 mounted thereon.

the bevel gear.I20. The shaft I32 is provided with a spider I42 rigidly aflixed thereto. Gear I08 has an annular bevel. gear I44, and pinion gears I46 and I48 are mounted on the spider I42 for engagement between the bevel gear I24 and the annular bevel gear I44. The outer efid of sleeve I22 is provided with a V-type split pulley I50 which is similar to the arrangement used on the outer end of sleeve 48 in Fig. 1. The

sleeves II4, I26 and H0 are provided with similar v -type split pulleyarrangements I52, I84 and I56, respectively.- Two control levers I58 and I60, together with spring biased centering devices are mounted on the gear casing by means of brackets I62 and I64and each is in all respects similar to the control lever I2 arrangement in Fig. 1. Belts I66 and I68 are placed upon the opposed pulleys.

It will be seen from the above description, that the operation of each power output shaft is the same as the operation of the power output shaft 58 in Fig. 1. To drive the shaft I30, gear I08 will be rotated in one direction and because of the gear and pulley arrangement the bevel gear I20 will be rotated in the reverse direction at a rat of speed dependent upon the manipulation or setting of lever I58. If the gears I06 and I20 are rotated in opposite directions and at the same rate the shaft I30 will not be rotated because of the differential action, 1. e. pinion gears I38 and I38 will rotate on the spider I34 without imparting rotation to the spider. If the lever I58 be moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the effectiv diameter of pulley I52 will be decreased and the effective diameter of the pulley I50 will be increased with the result that bevel gear I20 will rotate at a lower rate of speed, causing the spider I34 and the shaft I30 to rotate in one direction at a corresponding speed. If the control lever I58 be moved to the left, the effective ratio of pulley diameters will again be changed to cause rotation of shaft I30 in the opposite direction. As stated with respect to the device of Fig. 1, th centering position of lever I58 may be so arranged as to give non-rotation of the shaft I30.

The lever I may likewise be used to control the relative speeds of rotation in opposite directions of the gears I08 and I24 to impart nonrotation or a desired speed of rotation to spider I42 and shaft I32 in either direction.

There are several advantages to both mechanisms such as described. In the first place it can be seen that the gear casing or housing arrangement does not give rise to any complicated lubrication problems regardless of which horizontal, vertical or inclined position the shafts may be mounted. The entire device (either modification) is not complicated and each output shaft requires only one belt drive and one differential gear drive for a smooth, efficient and reliable control which is biased to some predetermined condition. The arrangement is such that it is compact and can be. installed where space is at a remium. It is to be noted that the gear housing and arrangement of powersupply can be varied in numerous ways without altering the principle of operation and be adaptable to situations in which the available space for installa as new and desire in secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A variable speed transmission including a housing with motor attached thereto, a pair of meshed gears coupled to said motor, a bevel gear coaxial with one of the meshed gears, the said three gears being journaled within the housing, a V-type variable diameter pulley speed drive directly connecting the other of said meshed gears with a sleeve attached to said bevel gear, the arrangement being such that the coaxial gears are adapted to be rotated in opposite directions, a power output shaft journaled in the housing and in' the sleeve, differential gearing means including a spider and an annular bevel gear on the one of the meshed gears mounted between the coaxial gears for driving the said power output shaft, and a single controller lever for the var iable speed drive biased to a desired setting for the variable speed'drive.

' 2. A power transmission including a gear train,

a bevel gear coaxial with each one of two gears for controlling the relative diameters of the pulleys.

5. A variable speed transmission including a housing, a pair of power driven meshed gears, a

- sleeve and a bevel gear attached to the sleeve mentbeing such that the coaxial gears are roof the gear train, a variable speed drive to transmit rotation from a gear in the said gear train to each bevel gear, the arrangement being such that power operation of the gear train will impart opposite directional rotation to the coaxial gears, a power output member associated with each bevel gear, and differential gearing means mounted between the coaxial gears for driving the said power output members.

3. A variable speed transmission including a housing, a pair of power driven meshed gears each having a bevel gear mounted coaxially therewith,

all said four gears being journaled within the.

housing, a variable speed drive connecting each of said meshed gears with the bevel gear coaxial with the other one of said meshed gears, the arrangement being such that the coaxial gears are rotated in opposite directions, a power output shaft for each bevel gear, and differential gearing means mounted between the coaxial gears for driving the said power output shafts.

4; A power transmission including a gear train, a bevel gear coaxial with each one of two gears of the gear train to constitute two pairs of coaxially mounted gears, a v-type variable diameter pulley drive to transmit rotation from a gear in the said gear train to each bevel gear, the

arrangement being such that power operation of the gear train will impart opposite directional rotation to the coaxially mounted gears of each pair, a power output member associated with each bevel gear, diflerential gearing means mounted being journaled in a position coaxial with each vof the meshed gears and all four gears being journaled within the housing, a variable speed drive connecting each of said meshed gears with the sleeve of the bevel gear which is coaxial with the other one of said meshed gears, the arrangehousing, a pair of power driven meshed gears each having an annular bevel gear attached thereto, a separate bevel gear coaxial with each of the meshed gears and all the gears being journaled within the housing, a variable speed drive connecting each of said meshed gears with the separate bevel gear which is coaxial with the other one of said meshed gears, the arrangement being such that the coaxial gears are rotated in opposite directions, a power output shaft for each separate bevel gear with a spider attached thereto, and differential pinion gears mounted on the spiders for engagement with and between the coaxial gears for driving the said power output shafts.

7.. A variable speed transmission including a housing, a power driven gear train having attached to. each of two of its gears an annular bevel gear said two gears being mounted on sleeves site directions, a power output shaft for eachv separate bevel gear and passing through its sleeve, differential gearing means mounted between coaxial gears for driving the said power output shafts, and means for controlling the relative diameters of the pulleys.

HERBERT J. WILLMOTT. 

